1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an inflation valve device with a pressure measuring unit for an inflatable bladder.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a-conventional inflatable bladder 10, such as a sports ball, with a peripheral wall 11 confining an air chamber 16 therein. An elastomeric one-way valve 13 is mounted in an opening 12 in the peripheral wall 11, and is formed with a slit 15 that is self-closing and that can be forced to open via insertion of an inflation needle 17 to permit air flow into the air chamber 16. The conventional inflatable bladder 10 is disadvantageous in that measuring of an internal pressure of the air chamber 16 is relatively inconvenient as it requires a separate pressure measuring device (not shown).
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an inflatable bladder with a pressure measuring unit so as to overcome the aforesaid drawback associated with the prior art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an inflation valve device with a pressure measuring unit for the inflatable bladder of this invention.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an inflatable bladder that comprises: a bladder peripheral wall that confines an air chamber therein and that is formed with an opening; a tubular sleeve member inserted into the air chamber via the opening and having a sleeve peripheral wall that has opposite open top and bottom ends and that confines a first channel extending from the top end to the bottom end and in fluid communication with the air chamber and the opening, the top end being mounted on the bladder peripheral wall; a pressure measuring unit including a tubular indicator and a first urging member, the indicator being mounted movably in the first channel and having an indicator peripheral wall surrounded by the sleeve peripheral wall and marked with indicia for indicating pressure in the air chamber, the first urging member being disposed between the sleeve peripheral wall and the indicator peripheral wall, the indicator being constantly pushed by the pressure in the air chamber so as to move axially and outwardly of the first channel against biasing action of the first urging member, which, in turn, results in displacement of the first urging member in an amount corresponding to the pressure in the air chamber and indicated by the indicia exposed from the opening in the bladder peripheral wall; and a first locking member which is disposed between the sleeve peripheral wall and the indicator peripheral wall and which is operable between a first locking position, in which, the first locking member releasably engages the indicator so as to prevent axial movement of the indicator in the first channel, and a first unlocking position, in which, the first locking member is disengaged from the indicator so as to permit axial movement of the indicator by virtue of the pressure in the air chamber.
According to another aspect of this invention, there is provided an inflation valve device for an inflatable bladder having a bladder peripheral wall that confines an air chamber therein and that is formed with an opening. The inflation valve device includes: a tubular sleeve member adapted to be inserted into the air chamber via the opening and having a sleeve peripheral wall that has opposite open top and bottom ends and that confines a first channel extending from the top end to the bottom end and adapted to be in fluid communication with the air chamber and the opening, the top end being adapted to be mounted on the bladder peripheral wall; a pressure measuring unit including a tubular indicator and a first urging member, the indicator being mounted movably in the first channel and having an indicator peripheral wall confining a second channel, surrounded by the sleeve peripheral wall, and marked with indicia for indicating pressure in the air chamber, the first urging member being disposed between the sleeve peripheral wall and the indicator peripheral wall, the indicator being adapted to be constantly pushed by the pressure in the air chamber so as to move axially and outwardly of the first channel against biasing action of the first urging member, which, in turn, results in displacement of the first urging member in an amount corresponding to the pressure in the air chamber and indicated by the indicia exposed from the opening in the bladder peripheral wall; a first locking member which is operable between a first locking position, in which, the first locking member releasably engages the indicator so as to prevent axial movement of the indicator in the first channel, and a first unlocking position, in which, the first locking member is disengaged from the indicator so as to permit axial movement of the indicator by virtue of the pressure in the air chamber; an elastomeric first inflation valve that is mounted in and that divides the second channel into an upper section and a lower section which is in fluid communication with the air chamber, and that is formed with a first slit which is capable of self-closing; an inflation needle that is mounted in the upper section of the second channel and that has a needle peripheral wall surrounded by the indicator peripheral wall and confining a first needle chamber which is in fluid communication with the atmosphere, the inflation needle being movable together with the indicator relative to the sleeve member; and a second urging member disposed between the indicator peripheral wall and the needle peripheral wall. The inflation needle is operable via an external force to move inwardly of the inflatable bladder relative to the indicator against biasing action of the second urging member from an upper position to a lower position, in which, the inflation needle extends into and through the first slit so as to permit fluid communication between the air chamber and the first needle chamber via the lower section of the second channel. The second urging member urges the inflation needle to return to the upper position when the inflation needle is relieved from the external force.